Currently, there are two ways to file a case (or file a document in a case) in district court.

eFiling and eService

Electronic filing and service (eFiling and eService) is currently available in 11 pilot counties (found in the "District Courts Currently Mandating or Offering eFiling and eService" tab) .

Since July 1, 2015, use of the eFile and eServe system has been mandatory for attorneys, government agencies, and guardians ad litem in all court cases filed in the 11 eCourtMN pilot counties. Also since July 1, 2015, other court filers – such as self-represented litigants and medical examiners – have been able to use the eFile and eServe system in the 11 pilot counties.

By the end of 2015, the Minnesota Judicial Branch is aiming to make eFiling and eService available in the remaining 76 counties. Use of the eFile and eServe system for cases filed in those counties will be voluntary upon implementation. More information on when eFiling and eService will be available in the non-pilot counties will be provided in the future.

On July 1, 2016, use of the eFile and eServe system will become mandatory for attorneys, government agencies, and guardians ad litem in all district court cases statewide.

Attorneys and government agencies, including sheriffs, must use the eFile and eServe system to file other non-charging documents in the 11 pilot counties, effective July 1, 2015. Minn. Gen. R. Prac. 14.01(b)(1).”

Filing paper documents at the courthouse

Unless required to use the eFile and eServe system, court users can file paper documents and court forms at the appropriate court facility.

The Civil Actions help topic includes additional information on filing or responding to a summons and complaint.

Both electronic and paper filings will be subject to the appropriate filing fee.

Below is a 3-step guide for starting eFiling

Step #1:Designate an eFile "Administrator"
Choose a firm/agency representative(s) to be an eFile "Administrator." The eFile Administrator will be responsible for creating and managing the account and firm user information.

Step #2: eFile and eServe Training
The eFile Administrator should receive training BEFORE registering an account for the firm/agency in the system. The training is important because it provides details on how to manage an account and add more administrators. Any user identified by the eFile Administrator may also receive training.

Step #3:Register for an OFS Account
Click on "Register Now" in the login box in the eFile and eServe application to complete the registration process and set up an account for a firm or agency. NOTE: The eFile Administrator only needs to register and create an account one time to enable legal professionals in their firm or agency to eFile and eServe in any court where the service has been made available.

An Internet browser is required. We recommend Firefox 9.0 or Internet Explorer 7.0 or a higher release version. Neither Chrome or Safari are recommended web browsers.

eFiling will come at a minimal cost to you. Besides the browser, all that will be required will be a valid eMail address, which you must update in the system if it changes at any time in the future, and a VISA, MasterCard, or Discover credit or debit card for the statutory filing and eServe fee. American Express is not accepted.

eFiling and eService to be temporarily unavailable July 17

First time subsequent eFilings into existing cases using the eFile and eServe system may not be possible on Friday, July 17, 2015, at 5:00 p.m., and may remain unavailable until 8 a.m. on Monday, July 20, 2015 due to an upgrade of the Minnesota Court Information System. The upgrade may impact filings during this time. Please plan accordingly.

If system unavailability prevents you from electronic filing where mandatory, an exception may be requested to the mandatory eFiling requirement under Minnesota General Rule of Practice 14.01(c). Detailed information regarding all past occurrences of the eFiling and eService system unavailability is available at the following link: Outage Log/eFiling and eService Unavailability. This information should be included along with an exception request to the court.

I am sending this message as a reminder of the major amendments to the Minnesota Rules of Court that take effect this Wednesday, July 1, as well as the scheduled maintenance of the eFile and eServe system scheduled for the afternoon of Tuesday, June 30. Please feel free to share this reminder with your members/stakeholders/employees.

Require attorneys, government agencies, and guardians ad litem to electronically file and serve documents in all court cases filed in the 11 eCourtMN pilot counties effective July 1, 2015.

Require prosecutors filing a criminal complaint in the 11 eCourtMN pilot counties to electronically file the complaint through the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) eCharging system effective July 1, 2015.

The eFile and eServe system will not be available starting on Tuesday, June 30, 2015, at 4:30 p.m., and may remain unavailable until 8 a.m. on Wednesday, July 1, 2015. During this time, certain functionalities of the eFile and eServe system will be updated to reflect recent amendments to the Minnesota Rules of Court. To assist in the timely implementation of the system upgrade, users are asked to log off the eFile and eServe system by 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 30th.

The Minnesota Judicial Branch has posted a document to prepare system users for this upgrade:

Free CLE’s throughout the state in June and July. A list of remaining CLEs can be found here.

Training and Resources Available to Filers:

In order to help attorneys, government agencies, and guardians ad litem prepare for mandatory eFiling and eService, the Minnesota Judicial Branch has posted informational resources, training materials, and a three-step guide to starting eFiling at www.mncourts.gov/eFile. Training on how to use the eFile and eServe system is available through live and recorded webinars, and in-person at both the Hennepin County Government Center and, in June and July, the Ramsey County Courthouse.

The Minnesota Judicial Branch also operates a support center for filers with questions about the eFile and eServe system. The eFile Support Center is staffed Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and can be reached at (651) 227-2002, 1-855-291-8246, or by e-mail via the Minnesota Judicial Branch website. For more information, please visit the eFile Support Center.

June 19, 2015: State Court Administrator’s Office offering two free 1.5-hour CLEs on New Minnesota Court Rules: Overview of the Civil, General, and Access Rules and Overview of the Juvenile Protection Rules

Two additional CLE sessions on the Civil, General, and Access Rules have been scheduled and are included in the chart below: June 15 from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Washington County Government Center, and July 7 from 12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. at the Polk County Justice Center.

The Minnesota Supreme Court has made major amendments to Minnesota’s court rules. The amendments will change the practice of law in Minnesota’s state courts, and will go into effect on July 1, 2015. The Legal Counsel Division of the State Court Administrator’s Office is offering presentations to help court staff, attorneys, and legal professionals understand the changes to the court rules. The changes will affect everyone who uses the court system.

June 17, 2015 - eFiling Will Be Disrupted Tuesday, June 30; New Court Rules take effect July 1

The eFile and eServe system will be not be available starting on Tuesday, June 30, 2015, at 4:30 p.m., and may remain unavailable until 8 a.m. on Wednesday, July 1, 2015, to allow the Minnesota Judicial Branch to implement these enhancements. During this time, users will be unable to electronically file or serve documents. To assist in the timely implementation of the system upgrade, users are asked to log off the eFile and eServe system by 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 30th.

Certain functionalities of the eFile and eServe system will be updated to reflect the changes to the Minnesota Rules of Court. The Minnesota Judicial Branch has posted a document to prepare system users for this upgrade:

In order to help attorneys, government agencies, and guardians ad litem prepare for mandatory eFiling and eService, the Minnesota Judicial Branch has posted informational resources, training materials, and a three-step guide to starting eFiling.

Training on how to use the eFile and eServe system is available through live and recorded webinars, and in-person at both the Hennepin County Government Center and, in June and July, the Ramsey County Courthouse.

The Minnesota Judicial Branch also operates a support center for filers with questions about the eFile and eServe system. The eFile Support Center is staffed Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and can be reached at 651-227-2002, 1-855-291-8246, or by e-mail via the Minnesota Judicial Branch website.

If system unavailability prevents you from electronic filing where mandatory, an exception may be requested to the mandatory eFiling requirement under Minnesota General Rule of Practice 14.01(d); 14.01(f)(1).

Below is a link to detailed information regarding all past occurrences of the eFiling and eService system unavailability. This information should be included along with an exception request to the court.

June 15, 2015 - State Court Administrator’s Office has published the Minnesota District Court Registered User Electronic Filing Guide

The State Court Administrator’s Office has published the Minnesota District Court Registered User Electronic Filing Guide, which establishes formatting requirements for electronically filed documents. Starting on July 1, 2015, everyone who uses the electronic filing system in Minnesota’s state courts must follow the formatting requirements set out in the guide. For the convenience of filers, the guide also contains a general description of some of the court rules that apply to electronic filing.

The guide will be subject to period updates to reflect technological developments. The most current version of the guide will be available on the Minnesota Judicial Branch website on the Overview tab of this page.

Beginning July 1, 2015, attorneys, government agencies, and guardians ad litem will be required to electronically file and serve documents in all court cases filed in the 11 eCourtMN pilot counties. This includes all cases filed in Cass, Clay, Cook, Dakota, Faribault, Hennepin, Kandiyohi, Lake, Morrison, Ramsey, and Washington counties.

On July 1, 2016, those same filers will be required to electronically file and serve documents in all district court cases statewide.

Expanding the availability and mandatory use of the eFile and eServe system is a major milestone in the Minnesota Judicial Branch’s eCourtMN initiative, which is transforming the state’s court system by replacing paper-based court files with an electronic information environment. The goal of the eCourtMN initiative – which received a 2014 State Government Innovation Award from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs – is to make the state’s court system more accessible, more efficient, and more convenient for court customers.

One of the key elements of the eCourtMN initiative is giving case participants the ability to submit documents to the court and serve documents to opposing parties electronically, through an online portal. This allows court customers to file documents without traveling to the courthouse or paying for postage or courier costs, allows filers to submit documents immediately and outside of courthouse business hours, and allows court documents to be sent to filers electronically.

The Minnesota Judicial Branch began pilot testing eFiling and eService in 2012, and today attorneys and government agencies are able to eFile and eServe in 11 pilot counties, though use of the system is optional in several case types.

In April, the Minnesota Supreme Court adopted amendments to the Minnesota Rules of Court that provided a timeline for a statewide expansion of eFiling and eService to all 87 Minnesota counties:

July 1, 2015: Use of the eFile and eServe system will become mandatory for attorneys, government agencies, and guardians ad litem in all court cases filed in the 11 eCourtMN pilot counties.

End of 2015: By the end of 2015, the Minnesota Judicial Branch is aiming to make eFiling and eService available in the remaining 76 counties. Use of the eFile and eServe system for cases filed in those counties will be voluntary upon implementation. More information on when eFiling and eService will be available in the non-pilot counties will be provided in the future.

July 1, 2016: Use of the eFile and eServe system will become mandatory for attorneys, government agencies, and guardians ad litem in all district court cases statewide.

Other court filers – such as self-represented litigants and medical examiners – will be able to begin eFiling in the 11 pilot counties on July 1, 2015, and in other counties as eFiling becomes available. These filers will be able to choose whether to file on paper or through the eFile and eServe system, though Court Rules require that once a filer has used the eFile and eServe system to file a document, he or she must use the eFile and eServe system for all future documents filed in that case.

Training and Resources Available to Filers

In order to help attorneys, government agencies, and guardians ad litem prepare for mandatory eFiling and eService, the Minnesota Judicial Branch has posted informational resources, training materials, and a three-step guide to starting eFiling. Training on how to use the eFile and eServe system is available through live and recorded webinars, and in-person at both the Hennepin County Government Center and, in June and July, the Ramsey County Courthouse.

The Minnesota Judicial Branch also operates a support center for filers with questions about the eFile and eServe system. The eFile Support Center is staffed Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and can be reached at (651) 227-2002, 1-855-291-8246, or by contact form.

April 29, 2015 – eFiling and eService to be Mandatory for All Case Types in the 11 eCourtMN pilot counties

Effective July 1, 2015, eFiling and eService will be mandatory for all case types for attorneys, government agencies, and guardians ad litem in the 11 eCourtMN pilot counties (Cass, Clay, Cook, Dakota, Faribault, Hennepin, Kandiyohi, Lake, Morrison, Ramsey, and Washington).

This requirement is part of recent amendments to the Minnesota Rules of Court, enacted by a Minnesota Supreme Court order issued on April 23, 2015. The amendments were adopted after an extensive process to update the Minnesota Rules of Court to accommodate electronic filing and service in the district courts.

More information on eFiling and eService, including resources for filers and contact information for the eFile Support Center tab.

April 8, 2015 – eFile System Upgrade scheduled for April 17

The eFile and eServe system will not be available starting Friday, April 17, 2015, at 5 p.m. and may be unavailable until 8 a.m. on Monday, April 20, 2015. During this time, users may not be able to electronically file or serve documents.

Additional updates to the eFile and eServe system are expected in mid-May. The Minnesota Judicial Branch is implementing a standard system configuration that will ensure filers have a consistent user experience when eFiling or eServing in any district court. Establishing a standard system configuration will improve both the user experience and the support services offered to filers. More information about these changes will be communicated in the near future.

Live Web-based (Webinar) sessions are available for attorneys, law firm administrators, legal staff, and justice partners wishing to use the eFile and eServe System. The sessions last approximately 90 minutes, with time for questions at the conclusion of the presentation.

If you have previously registered your firm and previously attended training for eFiling and eServing in a particular district court, you do not need to re-register and attend training again. Registration and training is applicable statewide, regardless of when you plan to or are able to eFile in a particular court.

A recording of a live Web-based (Webinar) session is also available for attorneys, law firm administrators, legal staff members, and others wishing to register for eFile and eServe. Viewing this recorded Webinar is an option for those whose schedule does not permit attendance at either the live Web-based (Webinar) sessions or the in-person training sessions in Hennepin County District Court. The recording runs 1 hour and 42 minutes.

View the Recorded Webinar. You do not need to call in as instructed at the beginning of the recording; call-ins are only necessary when particpating in the live sessions listed above.

Attorneys and government agencies, including sheriffs, must use the eFile and eServe system to file other non-charging documents in the 11 pilot counties, effective July 1, 2015. Minn. Gen. R. Prac. 14.01(b)(1).”

On Wednesday, April 22, 2015, the Minnesota Supreme Court promulgated amendments to the Minnesota Rules of Court, which govern court proceedings and access to court records in the state. The amendments are effective July 1, 2015.

Amendments were promulgated to each of the court rules listed below. The links below provide direct access to the orders issued by the Minnesota Supreme Court promulgating the rules amendments: